June 2016

What do you need to know about God if you’re among the redeemed people of God? I’m not talking about all the elements of systematic theology, but about the basic day-to-day walking around faith that each of us needs, the convictions that are the basis for how we view God, the world He made, and our place in it.

I think if we consider what God had the Israelites keep in the Ark of the Covenant we’ll have a good idea of what should comprise the foundation of our daily walking around faith.

Kept within the Holy of Holies, the ark represented the very place where God dwelt. What it contained exemplified the character of God, as though God said, “What I direct you to put in the Ark of the Covenant shows how you should think of Me.”

Hebrews 9:4 describes the Ark of the Covenant and its contents: . . . The ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant.

Let’s consider each of those items in turn and see what we learn about God! We’ll start with the tables of the covenant, that is, the tablets on which the 10 Commandments were written.

As part of our daily walking around faith we must remember and not forget that God is a moral God. He created a moral universe. There is a moral standard to which the universe and all that is in it will be held accountable. God wrote the details of that standard in stone! Exodus 31:18 describes those tablets this way: . . . tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.

Like other times throughout history, we live in a time when God’s moral order is called into question. We hear respected authorities assert that morality has changed and we must adjust to it. Much of popular culture reflects the same notion with heroes and heroines who lead the way in throwing off the constraints of biblical morality. We have friends, co-workers, family members, and neighbors who embrace a new moral order. All this can cause our own convictions to be shaken.

It’s for that reason that God had the two tablets placed in the Ark of the Covenant. We need to know that God is the final authority for all morality. He has written in stone the foundational moral truths for all the world for all times. His standards have not and will not change. Such strong moral convictions should be part of our everyday walking around faith.

Turning to Aaron’s rod which budded, we find another sort of controversy. At issue is whether or not Moses, the man of God, accurately and faithfully spoke that which God had spoken to him. Specifically, some of the key Israelite leaders did not believe Moses when he said that God had said only the tribe of Levi was to do the priestly work.

To resolve the matter, God said to have a rod/branch from each tribe left overnight in the tabernacle before the Ark of the Covenant and He would show the truth of the matter. Of the twelve rods put out overnight, only . . . the rod of Aaron . . . sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. [Num.17:8] This was a powerful confirmation of God’s Word and of Moses as a faithful spokesman for God.

In our day we hear many voices sounding like the rebellious Israelites in the desert, voices that question the validity of God’s Word and the faithfulness of those who set it forth. For instance, how can one say that Jesus is the only means of salvation? Or, again, how can one assert that God made the world in six 24 hour days? Or, how can anyone insist there are only two sexes and that we are whatever sex we were born?

We need the assurance the youthful Jeremiah received as part of his call to be a spokesman for God. The Lord gave him a vision of a rod of an almond tree. Why an almond rod? God tells Jeremiah why: . . . for I am watching over My word to perform it. [Jer. 1:12] What an encouragement for Jeremiah as he recalled the rod of Aaron!

As we walk around, we inevitably will tell others what God has done, what God has said, and how God has ordered the world. We will be faithful witnesses for the Lord. But we cannot make folk believe us or the truths of God. That’s God’s work. He will do that. So, as part of our everyday walking around faith we should rejoice that we have truth to share and that the Holy Spirit is watching over it to make it fruitful in the lives of others.

Now for the jar of manna. Throughout their forty year journey from Egypt to Israel the Israelites ate manna. It was a daily miracle of God’s provision. There is no natural explanation for manna. Here’s what God taught them through manna: He humbled you and . . . fed you with manna . . . that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of God. [Deut. 8:3]

No one has eaten manna since the days of the Exodus, but each generation of God’s people has needed to live in the truth that it is God who provides for His people. Without His provision we will perish. We are never a self-sufficient people if we’re part of the redeemed people of God. Manna is a call to humility. Manna is call to receive from God all that you need. The Israelites still had to gather the manna, prepare the manna, and eat the manna. But they knew it was God who provided it. Supernaturally. Each working day.

Part of our walking around faith each day is the realization that God is the One who provides all things for us. He provides for us materially and spiritually. He does so by natural means and by supernatural means. Walking around day by day our faith should rejoice in the expectation of His giving us daily manna.

The secular world does not have this basic faith. Moral values are up for grabs, folk can understand the world however they want, and each person walks in self-sufficiency. Not so for the redeemed people of God. We know there is a true, unalterable moral order, that God (not man) has designed and ordered the world, and that He is the One who supplies all we need on a daily basis. Such is the basic day-to-day walking around faith that each of us needs. All pictured for us in the contents of the Ark of the Covenant.

In the Joy of the Lord,

John H.C. Niederhaus

June Pulpit Schedule

5th – An Interlude – Jeremiah 32:26-35; Romans 16:1-16; Acts 18:24-28

When Luke wrote the book of Acts, from chapter 13 onward he documents the extensive ministry of the Apostle Paul. Readers of Acts follow Paul from Antioch all through his various missionary travels and to the prison in Rome. Only one time does Luke shift his focus off Paul. It happens in our text for this Lord’s Day when Luke introduces a man renown for his eloquence, Apollos of Alexandria. While he’s the main figure, two other persons are prominent in this interlude: Priscilla and Aquila, the co-laborers of Paul. Lots of interesting issues come up.

The sine qua non – that without which it cannot be – of the Christian life is the personal work of the Holy Spirit. No matter how moral someone may be, no matter how spiritual someone may be, no matter how religiously devout someone may be, without the creative work of the Holy Spirit in one’s soul, one cannot be a Christian. When Paul returns to Ephesus he meets a group of twelve men who are exceedingly devout, but it turns out they’re not Christians. What Jeremiah prophesied, what John the Baptist pointed to, had to happen to them. It did.

The name of Jesus can’t be ignored. For some, the name of Jesus is a swear word to be dragged through the mess of life. Others cherish it and speak of it with great reverence and exaltation. Still others only use it for their own personal gain. Some call on it only when they are in pain. In our day many use the name of Jesus for their own miracles. Do they know, and are they known by, the miracle Maker? Today we will study a case of mistaken identity, misplaced motives, and the magnification of the name of Jesus. Together we will see that no matter how the name of Jesus is used, there is extra-ordinary power.

Psalm 96 has wonderful sentiments: Sing to the Lord a new song, Sing to the Lord all the earth . . . Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. That could serve as the mission statement of the Apostle Paul. He was doing that very thing. Trouble was, as Paul told of the Lord’s glory, incidents happened! This Lord’s Day we look at a riot that occurred in Ephesus after two years of Pauline ministry. There are good, practical reasons for the riot. Paul’s message is threatening people’s livelihoods and calling into question the cultural heritage of Ephesus. Thus, an incident happens!

Judgement House Information

Work has begun on this year’s Judgement House outreach, scheduled for October 21-23, 28-31. Anyone age 18 or older planning to be involved in security, acting, counseling, being a guide, serving in the kitchen, babysitting, make-up, registration, costumes, or any capacity at practices will have contact with youth from our church and from the community and therefore must complete the new background check process by September.

Please contact the church office for the written directions on completing this easy process to get clearances that last three years.

Youth Pastor

Can’t play well with others? Legô and “leg godt”.

Have you ever felt like a round peg in a square hole? Often times we are out of sync with those around us, whether it be in our family settings, work place relationships, or even as members of a church community. It’s in these moments of discord that we just want to cry out with gusto the old Rodney King line of “…can’t we all just get along?” Well, we often can’t get along because we simply can not “agree” on things that are important to us, and thus we are the round peg in a square whole. But let’s think or play with the idea of round pegs in square holes. What comes to mind? Lego perhaps? Let’s think creatively and learn about Lego for a moment.

Can’t we all just “play well” together? The name LEGO is an abbreviation of the two Danish words “leg godt”, meaning “play well”. The Lego Group was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen. He was a carpenter by trade and made toys for children. What is interesting is that the very first Lego bricks were made of wood and designed to simply stack on top of each other. You can understand the problem here, for as soon as the bricks are bumped or come up against force they will topple over under the pressure. It’s hard for us to image that the first Lego bricks didn’t lock together!

This changed in 1949 when Lego began producing plastic bricks, calling them “Automatic Binding Bricks.” The difference was that these Lego bricks could be “locked” together. They had several round “studs” on top, and a hollow rectangular bottom. They would stick/bind together, but not so tightly that they could not be pulled apart. And the rest, as they say, is history.

We all know the phenomenon that is Lego in our time, but what it all boils down to is one simple idea. The success of the Lego brick is based on the interlocking principle with its tubes/studs clutching the rectangle sides of the block (or what I want to call a round peg in a square hole approach). The central idea of Lego is the interlocking principle of: “CLUTCH POWER”.

Now back to getting along with each other, or as we have discovered from the Danish “leg godt” – playing well with others! The Apostle Paul addressed discord and disunity in the church at Corinth. He writes, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” [1 Cor. 10:1]

Paul is concerned about the clutch power in the life of this local church. They were a sorry bunch of saints with many disconnected bricks. It was lawsuits, rivalries, pagan practices, immoral practices, heretical beliefs that were the major causes of contention. To say they were a divided community was understatement! If the Corinthian church wasn’t unified in Jesus then they would be like those original wooden Lego bricks that just topple over when adversity and pressure comes along.

Paul exhorts the Corinthians (and us, mind you) to have a clutch power that binds the members of God’s family together. This binding is only made possible through the name of Jesus Christ. Through His name we find agreement, for it is Jesus who has brought us into the family of God in the very first place. It’s critical in those moments when we can’t seem to agree on important matters that we remember the One who is most important and matters the most to us.

Then, as we seek to resolve issues and differences we should do so in the name of Jesus and with his help to inform (Word and Spirit). Remember, it was the Corinthian believers who were saying “I’m of Paul” or “I’m of Apollos”. Instead, we as believers are to correctly identify with Christ rather than have divisive camps of men. We are to verbally agree in Christ and be in a teachable posture asking and seeking Jesus to help us overcome our discord and false notions.

Paul goes on to ask, “Is Christ divided?” (v.13) If we are in Jesus Christ then we are bound together. We simply can not be divided (because of this our beliefs and practice should follow suit). There is great clutch power in the true Church through the name of Jesus.

A fun side note: The NASB translation of 1 Cor. 1:10 has rendered the Greek word “agree” to mean “λέγητε” in English. The root of this word is λέγω (legô) which is often rendered as call, speak, and tell in our English New Testament translations, and the fun coincidence is that this word is pronounced “Lego.”

So in Christ we are to find agreement with others because the name of Jesus is what binds us together and is our clutch power! Through Jesus we can play well and agree in what we say, think and do. So Legô (agree) and “leg godt” (play well). Maybe a round peg in a square hole isn’t so bad after all.

In Christ,

Pastor Andrew Edmonds

All Church Picnic at Men-O-Lan

Summer weather has finally arrived – and just in time for our excursion to Camp Men-O-Lan on Sunday, June 5th. Located in upper, upper, upper Bucks County, Men-O-Lan is an ideal setting for an all-day picnic.

An outdoor service of worship at 10:30 gets things going. Bring a lawn chair or two if you prefer, or you may be seated on the benches provided on-site at the under-the-trees, outdoor chapel. A baptismal service at the swimming pool will conclude the worship time. (If you’re interested in being baptized you should speak with Pastor Niederhaus sooner rather than later.)

Lunch is provided by the camp (yes, we pay a per/person fee, so donations in the basket gratefully received), but we bring desserts to share.

You and your family may plan to stay all day or just part of it. The Men-O-Lan picnic provides extraordinary opportunities for fellowship by joining in a rousing game of softball or paddling around the pond or perhaps some excellent porch-sitting-and-chatting times. There will be some games for the younger children and plenty of space to roam for the older ones. Some years the fish are biting too!

We will need some help with set-up at the beginning of the day and clean-up at the end of the day, as well as volunteers for pond duty and transporting items from the church to Men-O-Lan and then back to the church. Pitch in and lend a hand.

Looking forward to seeing you at Men-O-Lan on June 5th.

Full Finish Strawberry Festival

When the second Saturday of June rolls around you know it’s time for the annual Leidy’s Church Strawberry Festival. This annual event began as a fundraiser for our softball team, but many other projects and causes have received support over the years. In 2016 the profits from the Strawberry Festival will go to the Full Finish Campaign to help slice down the mortgage on the new church.

Preparing for the Strawberry Festival is a delightful experience for many. Making the one-of-kind potato salad, cleaning and slicing strawberries, figuring out the logistics, and talking with old friends (and making new ones) while doing so makes it a berry good time indeed. So be among those who help get it all ready.

It’s a great day for visibility for Leidy’s Church. Individuals and families from throughout our community drop by for good food, good fellowship, and some diversions from the cares of life. Be certain to invite a few of your friends and neighbors to drop by.

Here are the details for 2016:

Date: Saturday, June 11th

Time: From 4 to 8 pm

Format: Eat inside or outside or get a carry out

Cost: Most reasonable!

Menu items: Barbeque, hot dogs, baked beans, sauerkraut,

& Leidy’s Church famous potato salad

Last but not least: Strawberries, ice cream, and assorted homemade cakes

Volunteer forms are in the bulletin and the narthex desk. We need folk to help make the potato salad, lots of strawberry cleaners and cutters, cashiers, setter-uppers and taker-downers, ice cream dippers, kitchen help, servers, and just plain old helpers.

We’ll need to get rid of a lot of berries to slice off a hunk of our mortgage, so eat hearty and invite others to join you.

Within the Fellowship

Our sincere Christian sympathy to Gerald Bower and family at the death of his wife, Helen, to Dale Alderfer and family at the death if his father, to the family of Kathryn Alderfer at her death, to Marj Talbot and family at the death of her brother, and to Rich Kapusta and family at the death of his sister. May God be with them at this time.

Congratulations to Matt and Tara McVaugh at the baptism of their daughter, Amelia Lois. May God be with this family as they grow in Him.

Mission Prayer Notes

We regularly receive updates from the missionaries we support; far too many to even do a brief monthly summary of each in the Newsletter. They are, however, circulated among our Mission Committee members and others who may have an interest. A couple of the prayer requests at the moment are such that it seems good to publish them in this space for others to join in the prayers.

Duncan & Shay Forbes from New Life Church Roehampton in London. Duncan suffers with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that causes extreme pain. It’s incurable. His pain has increased significantly recently. Also, Shay’s father died suddenly near the end of May. Shay writes, We really need God’s help to get everything done in time, and we need God’s grace on Duncan in his time of physical pain. We are so thankful for Jesus and His loving care and knowing His promises to us as His children at this time. Thank you for your prayers.

India is experiencing extremely high temperatures, many days of 120+ degrees. There is much suffering right now and this will have consequences down the road due to crop failure, lack of water, etc. Bill Teate reports, that several church planting classes for unreached people groups have been delayed a couple of months due to extreme heat. Hence this is not just media exaggeration.

Bob and Jane Wendt with Peaceful Living have had a rugged go of things since Jane’s head injury over eight years ago. Jane has never recovered completely from that injury, has dealt with constant pain and diminished capacities in all facets of life. On March 2nd she had a surgery to put in an “intrathecal pain pump” so medicine could go directly to the spinal fluid. Bob writes, Unfortunately this procedure ended in INCREASING pain. We are more desperate than ever to find a solution . . . We have spent a lot of time and resources (spiritual, financial, and emotional) to no avail. . . . We are thankful the Holy Spirit knows how to pray for us with groanings too deep for words.

Confirmation Congratulations

Pentecost Sunday was May 15th and Leidy’s Church was delighted to receive into membership a good group of young folk via Confirmation. For the past two academic years class members studied the Bible, learned about church history from the age of the apostles to our own times, worked their way through the Heidelberg Catechism, and learned about the ins and outs of Leidy’s Church.

Some adults went through with them as well. Brian Radcliff was one of those guys. He has Psalm 103 down pat – you can check him out on it! Matt McVaugh also went through the course. He welcomed the opportunity to do significant Bible reading and to see how God has worked through the ages. Steve Radcliff was a faithful member of the class, always ready with a good question or insight. Though she was never present for any classes, Steve’s wife, Sharon, was voted an unofficial member for her consistent provision of brownies and other snacks most Sundays.

At the end of the second year, each of the young persons met with Pastor Niederhaus who examined them regarding their experience of new life in Christ, their struggles and strategies in living for Christ, and to determine if, indeed, each desired to be confirmed into the Christian faith via membership at Leidy’s Church.

The following young persons were received into membership via Confirmation on May 15th. We thank God for them and pray the Holy Spirit will continue to guide, correct, protect, preserve, and make them fruitful in the faith delivered once-for-all to the saints.

Julia Martindell Brian Lafty Lizzy Sedares Natalie Reich

Ruth Thompson Collin Radcliff Megan Walbrandt Karlee Fretz

Chase Mahoney Reagan Hostelley Christian Rau Lydia Wilwert

Preparing to Head North

Another crew of short-term mission workers from Leidy’s Church is preparing to head north in 2016. The destination this year is Pikangikum, a First Nations community where we have many friends and relational connections.

Workers are only on-site at Pikangikum for a week, so a lot has to happen in that time. There is a daily VBS program in each afternoon that usually has around 200 kids – give or take twenty or thirty on a given day! Some of our team will do hands-on handyman work on projects recommended by on-site missionary Colleen Estes and/or the Band Council. Ministry, however, takes place round the clock. There are sports activities, visitation opportunities, one-on-one interactions, making bracelets, giving haircuts, and just hanging out.

There also is work to be done. Team members prepare meals, do clean-up, share devotions, prepare for the next day’s lesson, debrief the previous day’s events, and sometimes do plumbing/heating/electrical/carpentry work to keep everything working!

Here are some key dates for the SLMT ’16 team members in your household:

June 1st – all paperwork due to the church office

June 13th – evening team meeting at the Musselman home

June 21st – mandatory VBS training in the Fellowship Hall

July 7th – luggage due at church by 9 a.m.

The prayers and support of the entire congregation are much needed for this mission endeavor. Significant spiritual warfare as well as extraordinary social conditions are part and parcel of this undertaking.

[P.S. Want to support someone, but no one has approached you yet? Talk with Pastor Niederhaus and he’ll get you lined up.]

Building Project Update

It’s good to know the Lord Jesus still reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords. If not, we might be getting a little bit cranky!

We did not get occupancy of the new church in May. It is safe to say the earliest we’ll get in is August. It all has to do with being in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act [ADA].

The big concern with the Control Booth was resolved in early May. We praise the Lord for that favorable resolution as otherwise it would have cost $100,000+ and changed the entire layout of the rear of the sanctuary. Subsequently, the field inspector had other citations for non-compliance. Most were minor in nature and have already been addressed. The main sticking points at the moment are the handicap lift for the Fellowship Hall stage and a section of concrete outside the kitchen entrance.

Both those issues will need to be presented to the Labor & Industry [L&I] board at its June meeting. That board’s monthly meeting, though, takes place in the third week of the month. That means it will be the end of June before we hear officially how we’re to proceed. Once we hear, we’ll have to make the corrections and resend the plans for final approval. All that will take time, hence our looking to August as the earliest occupancy date.

Proverbs 21:1 says the king’s heart is like channels of water in the Lord’s hand and He turns it wherever He wishes. Well, the same is true for the hearts of the L&I board and the ADA field inspector. Let’s pray for the Lord to turn their hearts to look at us with favor.

Uncaring or Crazy? Neither!

By Jerri Thompson

Recently our family went through a few difficult weeks. My husband Carl and I reacted very differently to the experience. He seemed to take it in stride and move on, while I was having trouble sleeping and eating and felt stuck. In the past we have had big fights about these times. He seems uncaring. I act crazy. However, a book I read years ago helped us to understand us. That book is Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti by Bill and Pam Farrel, a married couple.

Carl was able to deal with our distress by compartmentalizing it into one or two of those little waffle squares in his brain and live in the rest of the sections. When necessary he would go to the troubled areas and deal with them, but mostly he stayed away from them.

As for me, in my mind, everything is inter-related like strands of spaghetti on a plate. Sometimes, this is a good thing, as when it is better to see the big picture and not the details. However, in this instance, it was not good. One or two of those spaghetti strands were strangling all the rest.

Now, Carl has learned over the years that to be supportive of me in these situations, it is best if he stays with me, holds my hand, and keeps quiet. His logic does not untangle my spaghetti. I, on the other hand, have learned not to expect him to understand my emotional reactions. I look elsewhere for someone to talk to, either a girlfriend or a trained counselor. In this case, I had several conversations with a few people. After the last one, I felt like my counselor and I had pulled out two of those spaghetti strands, cleaned them, and placed them back on the plate. (Throwing them away is not an option.) Then I proceeded to deal more calmly with the situation before us.

Did this resolve the problem? No, it just enabled Carl and I to better work together on it. The situation has improved, but is ongoing. Romans 8:28 says that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Well, Carl and I love God and are called according to His purpose, and one of the good things to come out of all this has been a stronger bond between Carl and I. God is good, even during hard weeks.

Outreach Food Drive

The Outreach Committee of Leidy’s Church provides a ministry of servanthood and stewardship, not only to our church body, but to the surrounding community. In an effort to put the ministry into action, the Committee is asking the congregation to participate in a food drive during the month of June.

The activity will provide specific foods for people with specific dietary needs through the services of food pantries such as Manna on Main Street, Table of Plenty, Shepherd’s Shelf, and others. The Outreach Committee is hoping to do such drives regularly, perhaps four to six times a year. This is an effort to help people function well and to feel good. And may God be glorified in this.

Below is list of foods being collected this time. There will be a table in the narthex to receive your donations. Many thanks in advance for your participation in this activity.

Items requested:

Sun butter Walden Farms or Maple Grove Farms condiments

Sugar-free jam/jelly Gluten free Bread Crumbs

Vegan Mayo Sugar-free Pancake Syrup

Stevia Gluten free Pancake Mix

No-sugar salad dressings Heinz or Hunts ketchup with no salt added

Congratulations to Graduates!

Are you ready for some parties? Given the number of graduates we have this year, it seems likely a good number of our families will host graduation parties or be invited to enjoy such a party. Here’s our list of graduates. They’ll be glad to high five with you!

High School

Owen Lockman is last man to leave the Lockman Homeschool Academy. He’s glad to be heading off to Temple to pursue a degree in business. Curt and Betty Jo concur, after all, they met, were converted, and got married in the context of attending Temple.

Brittany Weiss is eager to get in the swim of things at Liberty University after graduating from Pennridge High School. Francis and Judi – her parents – appreciate the swimming scholarship she was awarded.

Micah Griffith is graduating from the Lighthouse Christian Academy, that’s the Griffith’s homeschool name. Clark and Jill will still enjoy Micah’s presence as he does two years at Montco before heading to Liberty University.

Ava Carsley the daughter of Paul and Denise, has planned her way from Souderton High all the way down to Central Florida University where she plans to major in Event Planning.

Emma Lafty is headed to the main campus of Penn State already this summer. She is in the pre-med program. Though she graduated from Pennridge, her parents Brian and Jenny still have a couple more studying their way through the system.

Jonathan Parfitt is the last man to leave the Parfitt Homeschool Academy. [He and Owen are buds.] His parents, Bill and Wynne, will still see him as he commutes to the Penn State Lehigh campus in hopes of entering Penn State’s Smeal College of Business in due time.

Jill Hager, daughter of Bob and Val, has finished her course work at Pennridge HS. She is going to continue to work as Assistant Manager at the Downtown Scoop and look for the Lord to direct her path in His good ways.

Kristen Parry is the last of the Parry kids to graduate from Souderton Area. She won’t be going far, though, as she will attend nearby Moravian College with a major in Health Science, sort of following in dad Jack’s footsteps, according to Karen, her mom.

Kendra Hughes is our lone grad from Central Bucks West. The daughter of Dave and Flor, as they did, she will be attending Bloomsburg with her eye on a degree in Business.

Jordan Hostelly is another Souderton Area grad. Her parents are Mike and Tosha. She plans to work for a year and save some money, while waiting for her future plans to clarify.

Mitchell VanDerbeek has wrestled his way out of Quakertown High. He is staged to do two years at Bucks County Community in Communications/Theater before choosing his final school. Proud parents are Isaac and Janie Inyang.

College & Graduate School

Alyssa Ziegler, daughter of Tim and Melinda, has earned a BS in Exercise Science and plans to continue her education working on a Ph.D. at Drexel. More exciting, though, she is getting married on May 29th!

Karen Brunner earned her nursing degree from Messiah College. She has a job as an ER nurse at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Muhlenberg site. Ted and Wanda say she always wanted to follow ambulances as a curious, caring kid!

Nathan Frueh earned a BioMedical Engineering degree from Drexel. He’ll be working for Johnson & Johnson in Raritan, NJ as an Enterprise SolMan Process Engineering Analyst. George and Donna, his parents, say they know what that means, but we don’t believe them!

James Dierkes has finished up at Williamson College of the Trades with a degree in Horticulture, Landscaping, and Turf Management. His parents are Jim and Daneen. He’s working for a local landscaper, while on the lookout for other opportunities.

Esther Thompson received a degree in Applied Sciences from Montco. She is currently working, but looking for something more in her field. Carl and Jerri are her parents.

Jena Kulp enjoyed life in the Little Apple, Manhattan, KS, earning a degree in Agricultural Technology from Kansas State. She’ll be doing mission work in SE Asia for much of the summer before heading to work for John Deere in Des Moines. Jerry and BJ enjoyed her graduation.

Alex Walbrandt has finished his degree in Finance from Temple. The son of Dave and Allison, he is already at work for RandT Specialty Insurance.

Alex Wilwert also graduated from Williamson College of the Trades, but his area of concentration was Construction and Carpentry Technology. Tony and Kelly are glad he found a carpentry job working for a very reputable fellow: Alex’s brother Josh!

Joah Rittenhouse says his commuting to Chestnut Hill College is history. Sounds good since he graduated with a degree in History. Parents Scott and Sherise are watching to see where history takes him as he considers his options.

Chris Kulp, son of Jerry and BJ, received a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Emergency Architecture from UIC Barcelona, Spain. The degree focuses on architectural help for areas where no sustainable infrastructure is in place. Along with his wife Kelly, Chris is employed as a mission architect with 100 Fold Studios.

Chris Tawney received the M.Div. degree from Westminster Seminary. Chris and his wife Katie are eagerly looking for the Lord’s leading in ministry employment. Andy and Joan are his parents.

Keith Lockman has graduated from the 47th Flying Training Wing in Texas. Whew! Now he heads to Canon Air Force Base in New Mexico for assignment. Curt and Betty Jo hope his flights occasionally head to the east coast.

Valarie Weiss graduated with a Master’s Degree in Urban Education from Union University. She will be teaching 7th & 8th grade math in Memphis, Tennessee.

Follow-up from Middle East

Last month we printed the thank you letter from Anees Zaka for the 30 Pieces of Silver offering we sent to the Middle East through the Church Without Walls organization he directs. Subsequently, we received a letter from the Middle East that should be of interest and encouragement to us:

Dear Leidy’s Church Brothers & Sisters:

Greetings to you in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ from your brothers and sisters in the Middle East.

Thank you so very much for your very generous gift which you sent to us through Church Without Walls. They sent it to us in the right time. The LORD knows our needs.

We gave $50 to each needy family for food. One of our leading members was very sick, almost dying. Your gift helped him to buy some medications. Now, he is much better and sends his “thanks” for all of you who gave. In spite of our hard life, the Lord is doing good things in our land. He is truly good and faithful.

Yours in Christ’s Name,

Elder Nabeel

Consistory Notes

It was the first Wednesday in May, but the scheduled spring weather was still was hiding behind a cloud. The Consistory of Leidy’s Church, nonetheless, met as scheduled. Here are some details of that meeting:

Devotional thoughts concerned dealing with the impossible. Matt Harris reflected on this topic and our normal human response: look to our own will power, look to our own strength, and look to the wisdom and strength of others. He quoted Charles Spurgeon who said we tend to look everywhere except to the Lord Jesus. Citing Psalm 46:1, Matt talked about God’s very present help is available. Such help must be appropriated. We need to turn toward and seek God. Matt encouraged all to seek the Lord who loves to help His people.

Financial reports were given and interpreted by Dana Gehman. Having gone through one third of the year, our accounts are holding steady. With regard to the Building Fund, Dana also made some observations and suggestions. Our total mortgage at this point is $1.7 million. The draw period for our mortgage expired on April 24th. It was decided not to seek an extension, nor to borrow any more monies. With the funds on hand and funds in escrow, it is hoped that we can finish the entire building project. Doing so means we will begin monthly mortgage payments on May 24th of this year. Our monthly payments will be just under $8,500. If we have sufficient funds when all is said and done, then a principal payment could be made toward the $1.7 million to help reduce the monthly payment even more.

Stan Ott reported on efforts to have the Labor & Industry (L&I) board reverse a ruling regarding accessibility requirements for the control booth in the new church. A special hearing for our request will take place on May 6th. The Consistory appointed Stan Ott to represent our cause and asked our architect Rich Kapusta to accompany him to the meeting for technical support if necessary. [The L&I board granted our request.]

The Consistory spent 45 minutes reviewing a proposed lease for our existing building. Review of the 16 pages proved it to be satisfactory, though some minor changes were made. The lease will not jeopardize the church’s tax exemption, nor will it run afoul of any regulations within Franconia Township. Should it prove to be acceptable to the Bucks-Mont Coalition for Evangelism, it will be executed upon the church’s move to 273 W. Cherry Lane.

Authorized additional costs of about $4,500 to provide TV monitors, DVD players, and other AV equipment for use in the new church.

Discussed the new staff position approved by the congregation on April 24th. Consensus developed that we should move forward and seek to fill the position. A committee was appointed to do so. Committee members are Dave Walbrandt, Dana Gehman, Dave Reich, and Pastor Niederhaus.

Time was spent considering nominations for Deacon. One slot is open as Scott Rittenhouse will finish his second term. Matt Harris will be nominated for a second term. After considering the qualifications outlined in 1 Tim. 3, four names came through the vetting process, were placed in a Bible, and drawn out. Those men will be approached in the order in which the names were drawn until someone consents to be nominated.

Discussed some of the minutiae of logistics at the new church: how the offering will be received, where hearing devices will be accessed, the serving of communion, etc. A Hospitality Committee headed by Greg and Sandy Nase is coordinating many of the greeting and welcoming details.

The Worship Committee is reviewing how things will work worship-wise in the new building. Who is responsible for what and how is it to be done are among the topics.

The Property Committee is pleased with the level of volunteer help in maintaining the outside grounds of the new church. Approval was given to a contract with Brouse Landscaping for shrubs and plants to be planted around the outside of the new church.

The Property Committee also noted that Gerald Moyer has been contracted to make repairs on the rear portion of the cemetery wall where some ruptures have occurred.

A variety of other updates and reports were received. The meeting adjourned at 10:54 pm following a time of directed intercessory prayer and the unison praying of the Lord’s Prayer.

The Westminster Larger Catechism

We’re coming to the end of the section of the Larger Catechism that deals with What Men Ought to Believe Concerning God. As you might expect, that means the subject matter at hand will be death and what follows after it. There is good news!

What Man Ought to Believe Concerning God

Question 84: Shall all men die?

Answer: Death being threatened as the wages of sin, it is appointed to all men once to die, for that all have sinned.

Question 85: Death, being the wages of sin, why are not the righteous delivered from death, seeing all their sins are forgiven in Christ?

Answer: The righteous shall be delivered from death itself at the last day, and even in death are delivered from the sting and curse of it; so that, although they die, yet it is out of God’s love, to free them perfectly from sin and misery, and to make them capable of further communion with Christ in glory, which they then enter upon.

Question 86: What is the communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death?

Answer: The communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death is, in that their souls are then made perfect in holiness, and received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies, which even in death continue united to Christ, and rest in their graves as in their beds, till at the last day they be again united to their souls. Whereas the souls of the wicked are at their death cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, and their bodies kept in their graves, as in their prisons, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.

Question 87: What are we to believe concerning the resurrection?

Answer: We are to believe that at the last day there shall be a general resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust: when they that are then found alive shall in a moment be changed; and the self-same bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave, being then again united to their souls for ever, shall be raised up by the power of Christ. The bodies of the just, by the Spirit of Christ, and by virtue of His resurrection as their head, shall be raised in power, spiritual, incorruptible, and made like to His glorious body; and the bodies of the wicked shall be raised up in dishonor by Him, as an offended judge.

Question 88: What shall immediately follow after the resurrection?

Answer: Immediately after the resurrection shall follow the general and final judgment of angels and men; the day and hour whereof no man knows, that all may watch and pray, and be ever ready for the coming of the Lord.

Question 89: What shall be done to the wicked in the day of judgment?

Answer: At the day of judgment, the wicked shall be set on Christ’s left hand, and, upon clear evidence, and full conviction of their own consciences, shall have the fearful but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them; and thereupon shall be cast out from the favorable presence of God, and the glorious fellowship with Christ, His saints, and all His holy angels, into hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments, both of body and soul, with the devil and his angels for ever.

Question 90: What shall be done to the righteous at the day of judgment?

Answer: At the day of judgment, the righteous, being caught up to Christ in the clouds, shall be set on His right hand, and there openly acknowledged and acquitted, shall join with Him in the judging of reprobate angels and men, and shall be received into heaven, where they shall be fully and for ever freed from all sin and misery; filled with inconceivable joys, made perfectly holy and happy both in body and soul, in the company of innumerable saints and holy angels, but especially in the immediate vision and fruition of God the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, to all eternity. And this is the perfect and full communion, which the members of the invisible church shall enjoy with Christ in glory, at the resurrection and day of judgment.